After 20 years as a P.E.I. firefighter, something snapped.
asserted
something → snap → firefighter
Now he's teaching others about PTSD
asserted
he → teach → PTSD
Ernie Gallant says older firefighters can benefit most from speaking about trauma
In the summer of 2020, Ernie Gallant hit a wall.
asserted
Gallant → say → wall
After 20 years as a volunteer firefighter, he says his body — and his mind — crashed.
asserted
body → say → firefighter
"I didn’t know what was going on," he told Island Morning host Wayne Thibodeau.
asserted
he → know → Thibodeau
"My legs came out from under me and I was crying."
asserted
I → come → me
Gallant was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
asserted
Gallant → diagnose → disorder
He said those two decades of fighting fires in New Glasgow, P.E.I., likely played a major part in the development of the condition.
asserted
decades → say → condition
"Every time I come out of the driveway and looked left, I was triggered," he said, noting that he turned left out of his driveway when responding to a particularly traumatic fire call in 2003.
asserted
he → come → 2003
Ernie Gallant was diagnosed with PTSD after spending 20 years as a volunteer firefighter in New Glasgow, P.E.I.
asserted
Gallant → diagnose → Glasgow
He says he would travel 'anywhere' to speak about his experiences with the disorder and unrecognized trauma.
asserted
he → say → disorder
PTSD often presents in people who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events.
asserted
who → present → events
Symptoms can include vivid flashbacks alongside other mental health conditions like anxiety or depression, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
uncertain
Symptoms → include → Association
Now, Gallant is talking publicly about his experience with PTSD.
asserted
Gallant → talk → PTSD
Last year, he started giving presentations that he's titled "Left Turn" in firehalls across P.E.I. to help other firefighters who may be struggling.
uncertain
who → give → firefighters
"Twenty-five years ago, there was nothing positive," he said.
asserted
he → be → ?
"You went home.
asserted
You → go → ?
Best case, you sat back at the hall and talked a little bit.…
asserted
you → sit → hall
Worst cases, there were guys that, [in] other halls, alcohol became an issue."
asserted
alcohol → be → halls
Gallant noted that older firefighters often stand to benefit the most from talking about their experiences.
asserted
firefighters → note → experiences
After one of his presentations in western P.E.I., Gallant said a young firefighter approached him to ask if he would speak at the fire department in Alberton.
asserted
he → say → Alberton
"He said, 'I need you to come because the older members need to hear this,'" Gallant said.
asserted
Gallant → say → this
"'The younger members are getting the training now but the older members aren’t.'
asserted
members → get → training
"
Firefighter safety is getting more costly.
asserted
safety → get → ?
Some P.E.I. stations are going into debt to keep up
asserted
stations → go → debt
Island students suiting up to fight wildfires this summer
Jayoda Tennekone, a registered social worker who runs a private practice in Charlottetown, said young people are generally more comfortable opening up about their mental health.
asserted
people → suit → health
He estimates that men and adolescent boys make up 80 per cent of his current caseload.
asserted
men → estimate → caseload
"As a generalization … younger people have that ability and the language to be able to speak about their experiences because it’s so much more normalized," Tennekone told Island Morning.
asserted
Tennekone → have → Morning
He said the men he works with often feel a need to live up to traditional stereotypes of masculinity, wanting to appear stoic and unemotional.
asserted
he → say → masculinity
"That was the expectation for so long — decades and decades," he said.
asserted
he → say → decades
"To unpack and unlearn some of that and recognize that you can be this provider, but also know when it’s time to express a level of vulnerability … it’s a challenge to get there."
asserted
it → unpack → vulnerability
To speak more openly, Tennekone said men need a safe, non-judgmental space where expressing their feelings is normalized.
asserted
expressing → speak → feelings
That’s exactly what Gallant is trying to do through his presentations: lead by example.
asserted
Gallant → ’ → example
"It’s tough.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
I’m still getting better," he said.
asserted
he → get → ?
Gallant said he would travel “anywhere” to speak about his experiences with PTSD and unrecognized trauma.
asserted
he → say → PTSD
As for those who might be struggling now?
uncertain
who → struggle → those
"Advocate for yourself," he said.
asserted
he → advocate → yourself
The Aporia
